Family of late Penn Hills police officer files lawsuit against LasikPlus
A lawsuit has been filed against LasikPlus after the family of a former Penn Hills police officer said their son took his own life because he was suffering debilitating side effects from eye surgery.
Ryan Kingerski, 26, died by suicide last year after what his parents described as a tragically unsuccessful LASIK eye surgery. His family has now filed a lawsuit against LasikPlus and the doctor who performed Ryan's procedure.
The lawsuit, filed earlier this week, alleges that Kingerski was not properly informed of safer alternatives to LASIK eye surgery or the possible risks that can come with the procedure -- and that as a result, he couldn't make an informed decision.
Following Kingerski's suicide last year, his family spoke out about the side effects he suffered before his death, which they say included headaches, floaters, dark spots, and double vision.
"He left us a note that said, 'I can't take this anymore. Lasik took everything from me.' That's the note that we got left," Ryan's father Timothy said last year.
Last year, LasikPlus declined to do an interview, but said partly in a statement that "there is no clinical evidence linking suicide to LASIK eye surgery."
LasikPlus said that patients are provided with a copy of an informed consent form during pre-operative appointments and that form addresses recognized risks, benefits, and alternatives of the proposed procedure.
About 500,000 Americans undergo LASIK every year, and the American Refractive Surgery Council says the complication rate is less than 1%, pointing out how successful LASIK has been for most people.
If you or someone you know might be at risk of suicide, there is help. In the U.S., call or text the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or visit 988lifeline.org.
